Medical Assistant Practice Test 1

Below you will find the first of our free Medical Assistant practice tests. This in an online practice exam with 50 challenging questions. Each question is scored instantly and detailed explanations are provided. This is designed to be an effective CMA practice test as well as an RMA practice test. Start your medical assistant test prep right now!

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Question 2 Explanation:

Jean Piaget described the developmental learning stages in terms of cognitive development. Erik Erikson described the various lifestyle stages in terms of this vs. that (such as autonomy vs shame and doubt). Sigmund Freud’s stages were based on sexual development throughout the lifespan (oral, anal, etc.). Miles Erikson is unrelated to theories of development.

When communicating with an angry patient, the medical assistant should do all of the following EXCEPT:

apologize for the circumstances, whether a delay or a rescheduled appointment.

listen and let the person tell you his or her story.

apologize and let the person know that you will call the police if needed.

use a lower-volume voice with low tones to reply.

Question 3 Explanation:

Do not threaten the patient with over-the-top action unless absolutely necessary. Most people will become calm and reasonable after a few minutes with all the other strategies.

Question 8 Explanation:

Wave scheduling relies on statistical evidence indicating that some patients will be late, and is sometimes modified to be every half hour rather than every hour. Open hours scheduling is a first-come, first-served situation. Time-specified scheduling is when a patient is given a specific time to be seen that is given to no one else. Cluster scheduling involves grouping similar style appointments together.

The medical assistant is asked to obtain a sterile urine specimen from a patient. The medical assistant should:

hand the cup to the patient and ask for a urine sample.

ask the patient to provide a urine sample without using toilet paper afterward.

instruct the patient to urinate in the cup until it is three quarters full.

instruct the patient to start the urine stream, stop it, and then catch some in the cup until it is about halfway full.

Question 9 Explanation:

This is the correct method of obtaining a sterile urine specimen. The patient needs more instructions than just to give a urine sample. Halfway up the cup is enough, and three quarters of the way is not needed. Using toilet paper afterward will not contaminate the sample.

Question 15 Explanation:

SOAP stands for subjective, objective, assessment, and plan. The first part indicates how the patient is feeling or what appears to be the case. The second is precise and accurate factual information about the patient or situation. The third step is the assessment of the patient or situation. The last part is the plan, which includes any follow-up the writer plans to do.

A patient calls the office and describes a contusion over the phone to the medical assistant. Which of the following descriptions represents a contusion?

Question 18 Explanation:

This situation could be labeled abandonment in court because the physician and/or staff has not returned the call in a timely manner. If it is necessary to discharge the patient, the action must be performed formally and not by simply ignoring the situation. For the remaining answer choices, assault would be a threat of bodily harm. Invasion of privacy might be a situation of sharing patient information without consent. Fraud is intentionally misrepresenting facts.

Which of the following methods is the most common way to achieve sterilization?

Question 19 Explanation:

The autoclave is the most common way to achieve sterilization because it is timely and easy to do on a small scale. Gas sterilization is usually performed in a large health care facility while cold sterilization is both difficult to confirm and time-consuming. Soap and water may get instruments clean, but they are not sterilized, which is an important difference for procedures.

Blood flows from the right atrium through the:

Question 20 Explanation:

The tricuspid valve separates the right atrium from the right ventricle. There is neither an aortic valve, nor a bicuspid valve. The mitral valve separates the left atrium from the left ventricle.

Eye contact is an example of which of the following types of communication?

Question 21 Explanation:

Eye contact is an example of nonverbal communication. Verbal communication requires spoken words or sounds. Empathic and therapeutic communication may not be performed through eye contact.

According to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, all human needs must be met before being able to achieve:

love and belonging.

safety and security.

Question 22 Explanation:

Self-actualization represents the ultimate peace and contentment with oneself. According to Maslow, it can only be achieved when a person feels as though he or she belongs to the community, is loved, feels physically safe, and possesses self-esteem. Therefore, it is the last stage in Maslow’s hierarchy.

Question 26 Explanation:

Safety is the number one priority. This patient already has a concussion and probably has increased ICP and swelling. Making sure they do not fall out of the chair and injure themselves further is the most important action. Calling 911 when they are safe is a good idea. Putting a blanket over them may impair their airway and is unnecessary. Tongue blades should never be inserted because they compromise the airway.

Question 28 Explanation:

The medical assistant should use presentation software to develop the lecture for the patients. This will enable a clean presentation that makes learning easy. A word processed document would be informative but less interactive. Graphics software would lack the ability to provide detailed information. Communication software is not necessary because the medical assistant will be face-to-face with patients.

Which of the following is a situation where the legal term “Respondeat Superior” would apply?

The medical assistant forgets to take the tourniquet off the arm of a patient.

The medical assistant answers the office phone politely.

The medical assistant takes the temperature of a child.

The medical assistant is late to work three days in a row.

Question 29 Explanation:

The term Respondeat Superior literally means “let the master answer.” Because the medical assistant works under the physician’s license, the physician is legally responsible for any negligible actions performed by his or her employees. The other situations do not fall under this legal domain.

Question 46 Explanation:

The level of functioning in Alzheimer’s disease is critical to care. A patient in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease may still be high-functioning, while someone in the later stages needs greater supervision and assistance for safety. Gait is important, but the patient is more likely to be in danger due to memory and behavioral impairment.

The established primary care practitioner of a patient calls the specialist’s office where the medical assistant works and asks what procedure was performed at the patient’s last office visit. The medical assistant should: